Virginia To Host 2011 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds

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INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena was selected as one of 16 sites for the first and second rounds of the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee announced Thursday (Oct. 29).

Virginia will host first and second round games at John Paul Jones Arena either Saturday, March 19, and Monday, March 21 or Sunday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 22, 2011. Exact dates and ticket information will be released at a later time.

This will be the first time Virginia will host NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship games at John Paul Jones Arena. University Hall was a host site from 1986-97 (first and/or second round) and 2000 (first and second round). U-Hall was also a host site for the 1992 and 1996 regional rounds.

“We are excited to be selected as a host site for the Women’s NCAA Tournament first and second rounds in 2011,” Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said. “There aren’t many on-campus facilities that can compare with the John Paul Jones Arena for college basketball. As a University community, we will embrace the stewardship role given to us by the NCAA over this great event that will certainly feature some of the nation’s best teams. Our fans have always been among the best in terms of attendance and support; in the seasons leading up to the 2011 NCAA Tournament our goal is to have even larger crowds at JPJ to follow our program.”

Other first and second round sites are The Pit/Bob King Court at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., Auburn Arena at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, Comcast Center at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., St. John Arena at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University in Durham, N.C., Thompson-Boling Arena at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., Jon M. Huntsman Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, McCarthey Athletic Center at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., CenturyTel Center at Louisiana Tech University in Shreveport, La., Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., Harry A. Gampel Pavilion at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., Bryce Jordan Center at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa., Ferrell Center at Baylor University in Waco, Texas and INTRUST Bank Arena at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan.

“The committee was pleased with the level of interest in our championship that we found from cities, institutions and conferences across the country,” said Jane Meyer, senior associate director of athletics at the University of Iowa and chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. “Of the 20 preliminary sites for 2011, we have 11 different conferences represented, with Wichita and Shreveport hosting for the first time.”

The following first and second round sites will host games either Saturday, March 19, and Monday, March 21 or Sunday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (dates to be determined in June, 2010):

The Pit/Bob King Court
Albuquerque, New Mexico
University of New Mexico (Host)

Auburn Arena
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn University (Host)

John Paul Jones Arena
Charlottesville, Virginia
University of Virginia (Host)

Cintas Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
Xavier University (Host)

Comcast Center
College Park, Maryland
University of Maryland (Host)

St. John Arena
Columbus, Ohio
The Ohio State University (Host)

Cameron Indoor Stadium
Durham, North Carolina
Duke University (Host)

Thompson-Boling Arena
Knoxville, Tennessee
University of Tennessee (Host)

Jon M. Huntsman Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
University of Utah (Host)

McCarthey Athletic Center
Spokane, Washington
Gonzaga University (Host)

CenturyTel Center
Shreveport, Louisiana
Louisiana Tech University (Host)

Maples Pavilion
Stanford, California
Stanford University (Host)

Harry A. Gampel Pavilion
Storrs, Connecticut
University of Connecticut (Host)

Bryce Jordan Center
University Park, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University (Host)

Ferrell Center
Waco, Texas
Baylor University (Host)

INTRUST Bank Arena
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita State University (Host)

The following regional sites will host games on the dates indicated:

March 26 and 28, 2011
University of Dayton Arena
Dayton, Ohio
University of Dayton (Host)

Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Spokane, Washington
Washington State University (Host)

March 27 and 29, 2011
American Airlines Center
Conference
Dallas, Texas
Big 12 (Host)

Liacouras Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Temple University (Host)